House of the Dead 2 provides good shoot'em up fun. It's on par with Time Crisis but takes place in an X-Files meets B Movie environment. You play as a special agent, armed with only your pistol. A once quiet city as now been infested with zombies, and other undead monsters. Each level contains different enemies so you must take different strategies to beat them. One shot will not kill them either. It usually takes 3 or 4 shots to cripple them before they reach you but they come quick! The game moves very quickly, which keeps the game intense, so you need to keep a sharp eye for aim and special items. Right after you finish off a group of zombies, you'll turn around to see rabid owls swooping at you. You'll also face adrenaline pumping bosses before each scene is through which are pretty challenging.
The game also has different paths you can take. Shooting a key you find on the ground will take you into a different situation which adds to the play value. There are also people in trouble throughout the different levels. Saving them will also alter where you go and give you health at the end of each "act".
The graphics are very detailed, crisp and clean. The story isn't so solid as you're just running around doing a lot of shooting and the voice acting isn't good but it fits. Has the potential to get frustrating at times, especially if you're still getting used to reloading. Worth a buy if you find it real cheap.
